The internet hummed quietly this morning on inauspicious word that the rumored buyout of 1UP.com and Ziff-Davis game group by Hearst Media (owners of the high-traffic but surprisingly low profile UGO gaming portal) had gone through this week. Originally, word was seen on news portal PaidContent.org, and though the story was quickly pulled down this morning, it remained indexed in Google’s cache and RSS feeds. However, it was thought that this would likely mean a few layoffs while UGO attempted to fit 1UP.com within their content stable.

Unfortunately, this was not to be:

Based on Twitter and forum posts by (now former) 1UP staff, it appears all but certain that the 1UP Show video podcast and 1UP Yours audio podcast are no more.

…

[Update: Joystiq has obtained what is, according to our sources, the full list of 1UP / EGM staffers laid off in the wake of the ZD/UGO deal: (eds. note: we can confirm that this list is accurate based on our own sources)]

Adrian Frieg
Amy Mishra
Amy Moran
Andrea Garcia
Andrew Fitch
Andrew “Skip” Pfister
Anthony Gallegos
Cesar Quintero
Christina Rosa
CoyLou Steel
Derek Chinn
Doug Parsons
Eric Ellis
Giancarlo Varanini
Greg Ford
James “Milkman” Mielke
Jason Bertrand
Jason Wilson
Jervilyn Jaramillo
Justin Frechette
Leslie Gelfand
Marci Yamaguchi
Matt Chandronait
May Tong
Meredith Stowe
Michael Donahoe
Monique Convertito
Ndubuisi Madu
Nick Suttner
Norris Boothe
Philip Kollar
Rey Serrano
Robert Bowen
Rosemary Pinkham
Ryan O’Donnell
Ryan Scott
Shane Bettenhausen
Simon Cox
Tammy Ross
Tipler Ubbelohde

This is our first post in about 10 months, and I wish it were under better auspices. However, this will not be the last. There may be a period of silence while we finish formulating plans that we had been discussing for some time, but eat-sleep-game will be back in action soon, with a new look, and some new faces. In the meantime, our hearts are with our friends at 1up (of which there are many). See you real soon, bitches.

-Arthur Gies, eic, eat-sleep-game

Posted in 1UP, Site minutae | 29 Comments »

Here are various reviews and previews I have done recently at 1up.com. Check ‘em out if they are about any games that interest you:

Medal of Honor Heroes 2 Review (Wii)

The Simpsons Game Review (DS)

The Sims: Castaway Review (PSP/PS2)

Dawn of War: SoulStorm Expansion Preview

Frontlines: Fuel of War Hands-on Multiplayer Preview (360)

The above is only a portion of the work I have been doing. I have also been working on several strategy guides, but choose not to post about them here. However, should you desire a link to a game guide, just shoot me a message or a comment telling me which game, and I’ll see what I can do.

Chufmoney

p.s.-Before anyone goes hating on my MoHH2 review–anymore than it already has been hated on–please realize that the score I gave means it is average–not bad.

Posted in 1UP, Previews, Review, review scores | No Comments »

Note: this post contains rumors which are unsourced, because they’re rumors. While I wouldn’t post about them unless i was fairly certain they had some credence, they should not be taken as fact, and should be approached with the appropriate amount of skepticism. The exception to this is the fact that the three studios in question did blackball EGM/1UP (as well as a number of other publishers in Europe as well), and Sony did fuck up last year and try to bully Kotaku into pulling a story.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in 1UP, EGM, Midway, Sony, Ubisoft | 9 Comments »

If you haven’t picked up Oblivion, you should. With the recently released Game of the Year Edition, players can get the original game, along with all the important DLC, for 60$. Or, if you don’t care about the DLC — even though you should — then you can pick up the original version of the game for $29.

For those of you that do own the game — and I have a hard time imagining that that isn’t everyone who reads this site — next week will give you a reason to get back on the saddle. Starting monday of next week, the final expansion, the Fighter’s Stronghold, will be available on XBL and for the PC. And, while this is enough to get many Oblivion fans salivating, it also comes with the fantastic price of free.

The Fighter’s Stronghold will be a base that is themed more to the sensibilities of the fighter classes in the game — in the same way that the Thieves Den was themed towards scouts and what have you.

The final expansion will only be free for the first week, so don’t miss the chance.

Chufmoney

[via 1up]

Posted in 1UP, Oblivion, Oblivion expansion | No Comments »

I have been busy as hell lately. On top of my normal work, which is writing guides to games for MyCheats, I have been doing more than my fare share of previews for 1up.com and Modojo.com. I just wanted to share them with you because they are about games I think the readers of our site should know about (especially Kane and Lynch). So, click away!

Medal of Honor Heroes 2 (PSP, Wii)

Kane and Lynch (360)

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Hands-on Multiplayer (PSP)

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (PSP)

Jam Sessions (DS)

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness Episodes I (PC, 360, Mac, Linux)

So, as you can see, I have been busy. Lots of meetings, talks, travels to game companies. All in all, it’s been amazing. Either way, just wanted to share, some of these games are looking pretty good.

Chufmoney

Posted in 1UP, Kane & Lynch, LucasArts, Modojo, PSP, Penny-Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-slick Precipice of, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, Video Games, Wii | No Comments »

No, the preview I wrote is not going to be posted here. I wrote a full length preview for 1up.com that you should check out if you are interested in this game. Despite the trailers that were abysmally received a while back, the game is shaping up really, really well. The writing is superb, the graphics are very stylized, and the blend of RPG battles with point-and-click adventure is sure to get most any gamer’s nerd-sense tingling.

Check it out here.

Chufmoney

Posted in 1UP, PAX, Penny Arcade, Penny-Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-slick Precipice of | 1 Comment »